The Backup Plan
by L.Q. Brooks
Summary: Book 1 of 10. After the war between the questers and Hatch, things had just gotten back to normal. But living slaves of Hatch might just change that, and send the questers on a new wild adventure. LOOK OUT FOR "ANKH" TO SEE WHAT HAPPENS NEXT. Rated K for some scary scenes.
1. 1 How Wiress Lost Her Eyebrows

~For KaylaDestroyer,

Who liked the ideas first.

1. How Wiress Lost Her Eyebrows

Beetee hummed as he worked with Howard, creating a dagger out of stone. Virgil was sitting with Manny, Sid, Diego, Peaches, Ellie, Buck, and Crash near a far corner. Earlier, they had discovered a new cave, and that's where they living. Believe me: it got cramped. Most of the questers, like Michael, Taylor, Zia and them, were sharing stories across from Manny and his friends. And Wiress was just staring around the new habitat. _This is a nice place, _she said to herself. And she meant every word she said.

Beetee and Howard were doing a decent job. The hilt was coming in nicely, and it would do good for any danger. What month was it? February? March? Who knew? Anyway, Kayla was telling Zia about Ohio. "Hey, did you know that Ohio invented the Hot Dog? True story." Zia giggled. Buck was explaining his crazy time in Hatch's clutches. "The Blue Bolt was incredibly painful. I'm lucky you found me when you did."

Manny smiled. "We're all lucky. Hatch is a horrible person, and he was defeated just in the nick of time." Everyone seemed to agree to that. Virgil touched Buck with her index finger, closed her eyes, breathed in, opened her eyes, smiled, and said, "I'm sorry, Buck." The weasel looked up at Virgil's hazel eyes in confusion. "What do you mean?" He finally asked. "I mean...I'm sorry. I should have helped you escape the clutches of Hatch earlier. If I would have known what he was doing to you, I would've saved you. He never did let me into what happens into his office."

Buck only nodded and stared at all of his new friends having a grand old time. "It's okay, Virgil. We're all here and alive now, right? Everything's okay." The salt and pepper hair girl shrugged and watched Wiress. "Tick, tock, tick, tock," she was muttering. "Tick, tock, tick, tock," Buck said to annoy her, but Wiress was too far to hear. She was walking towards Beetee and Howard as if in a daze. Meanwhile, Howard was carving the knife and Beetee was working on an electrocution method using sticks and leaves.

And it was working pretty well, to say the least. Wiress wrapped her arms around Beetee from behind, and closed her eyes. Beetee couldn't do anything but smile. She stood there for a while, and finally let go. She turned to Howard and said. "So...what you working on?" Howard looked down at his creation-in-working. "It's a...a dagger. But, if you would be ever so nice, we have to work on our stuff alone." Wiress stared into his eyes, and shook her head all the while. "Wiress, please," he tried again, but Wiress wouldn't move from her position.

She then turned back around to Beetee. From behind Howard said once again, "Wiress, please!" She was silent. "WIRESS!" She was silent. Finally Howard grabbed Beetee's creation and, in conclusion, shocked Wiress. She stared into the distance for a second, and then, covered in ashes, coughed. "That was fun." Howard narrowed his eyes and angrily said, "That was supposed to hurt you." Beetee looked angrily at Howard, but Wiress just smiled.

"I do that all the time. I'm used to it." And with that, she walked away.

**AR: **I'm back! And so are all the questers! I hope you enjoy this new series, made especially for my fans. Enjoy!


	2. 2 The Boss Takes A Chair

2. The Boss Takes A Chair

"What do you mean, Hatch let them get away?!"

You would never tell who was on the other side of telephone, but it was, indeed, Oliver Piper, the boss to Hatch's boss, who's actual name is Leo Phelps. Who would have guessed that the boss had a boss? Go figure.

"I mean what I said," Leo said calmly, yet confidently. His boss scared him almost as much as he used to scare Hatch. Still, with Phelps it was never exactly meant. The only thing that was meant to happen was Hatch's death.

"_You mean what you said_," Piper said in a mocking tone. "I'm disgusted at him."

"As am I," Phelps agreed, thinking over things. "But like we can do anything about it."

On the other side of the line, Oliver developed a grin that was simply frightening.

"Maybe you can."

"Sir?"

But Leo knew what his boss meant. He had to think of a plan; and it had to _work._

"Phelps, I like you. But you should not be always kissing up to me. It disgusts me."

Phelps nodded. "What do you suppose I do?"

Piper frowned. "You're a smart man. I'm sure you can think of something."

"Actually, I have a plan."

"Tell me. Now."

"What if...we send out guards to capture the Vey boy, along with his friends Taylor and Ostin, and the questers will have no choice but to go and find them. With that, we will capture them. As Hatch did with Buck."

Piper placed his hand under his chin to think it over.

"...Hatch failed."

"True, sir, but that's only because I killed him. Quite easily."

"You know that's not all that happened."

"Maybe so. But I'm much smarter than him. Trust me."

Piper considered this.

"Yes, I trust you. Perhaps it will work. And yet...what about the next prophecy?"

"The Prophecy of Egypt?"

"The same. What might it foretell?"

"All I know are these lines: _All seven secrets, the treasures untold, will help in the path to stop hearts of cold._"

"Hearts of cold..."

"That tells of us," Phelps said.

"Do you know of the seven items?"

"I don't. I told you, I only know the two lines."

Piper snarled in disgust.

"Fine. Try your plan. If it fails, you know what I can do to you."

"Yes, sir."

With that, Piper hung up.

**AR:** Thank you for being so patient, my readers who have not been reviewing, (KaylaDestroyer). I'm back, and I'll start writing more and more.


	3. 3 We Sell Brains For Half Off

3. They Sell Brains For Half Off

It was around two in the morning when Manny and Sid awoke quickly from a deep sleep after the sound of rustling bushes.

Careful not to wake anyone else up, Sid whispered, "What the heck was that?"

Manny shrugged. "Whatever it was, it's gone now."

_Rustle, rustle._

There was that sound again. And it sounded a lot closer than before. That might have been because they were asleep before, or perhaps because whatever the sound was came closer than before.

Soon enough, three shadowy figures came forward out of the moonlight.

"Greetings," the first figure said.

"Who are you?" Sid asked.

"Allow me to introduce ourselves " the second man said. "I am Leo. This man is Ray, and this man Oliver. We have came from Elgen to help in the quest."

Manny shook his head. "Elgen means bad news. And you're too late anyway. We fulfilled the prophecy."

"Ah, alas, not all of them. Ray, it's time," Leo told his accomplice.

Before being able to ask what Sid was thinking, Leo answered him. "Get the boy. I'll get Ridley, and Oliver, get Ostin."

* * *

Michael Vey had been listening all the time, but before he could realize what was happening, someone had started tying him up.

Sid knew he had to create a diversion. And he knew exactly what.

"Fresh flesh, brain, blood and bone! Free for everyone! I have the freshest brains in town!"

"No he doesn't." Manny muttered under his breath.

"We're not zombies you twit!" Oliver yelled.

Everyone had soon awoken. But they were too late.

In the blink of an eye, Michael, Taylor, and Ostin were kidnapped.

**A\O:** The first chapter written from my iPhone.


	4. 4 Permanent Marker on Sandstone

4. Permanent Marker on Sandstone

Howard was hyperventilating. "I don't...I don't understand."

"This is just like what happened with Buck. They've captured them to lure us there. They think that we're going to fall for the same trap," Sid said.

"Yes, but this isn't Hatch we're talking about. Leo seems a lot more intelligent," Humphrey responded.

"Hatch could shape shift. You guys remember the snake. And the Career. That seems pretty intimidating," Sid continued.

"Even so, who knows what Leo can do," Howard breathed out.

"That's not the point," Virgil responded. "The point is-"

Before she could go on, words began to be inscribed on the wall. "What's that?" Manny asked. Howard leaned in and read what it said.

_All seven secrets, the treasures untold,_

_ will help in the path to stop hearts of cold._

_Travel to the giant lion, made of sand,_

_To find the life knot for all the grand._

Luxa bit her lip. "What does that mean, Beetee?"

"All seven secrets, the treasures untold. That seems pretty clear. And then, to stop hearts of cold."

"Elgen," Kayla said.

"Right. The Elgen. So seven treasures will stop the Elgen."

"What treasures?" Kayla continued.

"Let's see. The great lion made of sand, to find the life knot for all the grand," Beetee responded.

Everyone stared blankly at him until Mareth spoke up. "It's obvious, isn't it?"

"What?" Howard asked.

"The great lion made of sand is the Sphinx, and the life knot is the Ankh."

Kayla grinned. "Do the honors, Mareth."

Mareth nodded, patting his good leg. "Ladies and gentlemen, we're going to Egypt."

**A/O: **I'm back! And just as good as before! Maybe...even...better.


	5. 5 When Slip Knots Go Bad

5. When Slip Knots Go Bad

"Egypt, huh? You know, I studied Egypt back in Kansas," Virgil said, grinning.

"Really?" Mareth asked.

"Oh, definitely. Up until we got captured by Hatch, that is."

Diego said, "I don't exactly understand what an Ankh has to do with the Elgen."

Virgil sighed and looked at the saber. "I don't know. But the stanza also said something about the Sphinx. The Sphinx is not hollow, which means they couldn't have hid the Ankh in the lion."

"True," Beetee said. "It must be on top of or around it."

Wiress shook her head. "If it was easy to find, the Elgen would have found it already. They're not smart, but they're getting the prophecy as we are."

Ripred looked at her, amazed. "What?"

"They're already in London. Which gives us a hint that one of the treasures is in London. Should we go there first?" she responded.

Beetee shook his head. "If I learned anything last year, it's that the prophecy never lies. If it says we go to Egypt first, we don't go to London."

"But what if they find the treasure first?" Wiress asked.

"Elgen may be dumb, but they know that by all the treasures being picked up could bring them to their destruction."

Wiress was silent.

"Wiress?" Manny asked her.

Suddenly she screamed. "SNAKES!"

* * *

"Snakes? Where?!" Crash asked, being simply terrified of snakes.

Wiress pointed to Howard's ropes.

Howard grinned. "Look, I know I kind of...shorted you out earlier, but those aren't snakes."

"No. Snakes," she demanded.

"Give her a chance, cousin. She's been right before," Luxa confronted him.

He grinned once more. "Listen, I tell you, these aren't snakes. These are ropes." Immediately, without Howard looking, the ropes began to levitate.

Luxa stared at the ropes. "Howard...walk...away...slowly."

His eyes darted behind him, eyeing the levitating ropes. He took a few steps toward Virgil and his cousin, Luxa. As he turned, the ropes shot towards them. Howard ducked, and narrowly missed the rope. The second rope, though, wrapped around Virgil's neck. Howard desperately tried to tie it off. He couldn't let a friend go. Not again.

The third rope tripped Luxa by pulling back on her legs. Her nose began to bleed. Diego sprang into action and cut two ropes in half. Mareth stumbled over to the third, the one who was headed towards Howard. Ripred threw his dagger over to him, and he sliced the half one, having all three fall to the ground. All five questers that fought were sweating.

"Well..." Howard said in between breaths. "You were right."

**A/O:** I feel like no one but KaylaDestroyer is reading my stories. Ah well. Look out for Book 2, ANKH!


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